Russell Crowe has got a sweet tooth for his chocolate Gladiator statue: 'Available to eat'

Russell Crowe may have won an Oscar for portraying vengeful former Roman general Maximus in 2000's Gladiator — but you can't eat an Oscar.

The actor received a more delectable honor when artist Tiziano Cassar rendered Crowe's Maximus in chocolate for the Hamrun Chocolate Festival in Malta over the weekend.

"Some people get statues made of bronze. Some in marble," Crowe wrote on X (formerly Twitter). "In Malta, they have made me out of…chocolate!!!"

Crowe added, "When the competition is over, I will be available to eat."

The artist loved Crowe's tweet, with Cassar writing on Facebook, "Honored to be acknowledged by the actor himself."

Clearly, Gladiator still remains a major touchstone more than 20 years after it premiered, which is good news, more or less, for the upcoming sequel, directed by the original's Ridley Scott.

The sequel will star Paul Mescal and he already has some big sandals to fill, what with the 2000 film grossing over $460 million worldwide and earning 12 Academy Award nominations (winning five). But getting his own chocolate statue? Some honors just can't be beat.

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